The Year After
by Taylor Gray
Summary: The year after Ryan McCarthy and Jake Tyler's big fight, Kate Warner moves to Orlando after her parents die to live with her aunt and uncle. Her and Ryan meet. Bad summary ... please check out anyway! XD OC/Ryan
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This was just an idea I had after watching the movie. Please read and review! Helpful and suggestive criticism is welcome!****J **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Never Back Down.**

The car ride was quiet and peaceful. I stared out the window as the palm trees rushed by.

Orlando, Florida.

It was going to be quite a change from my old home in Chicago.

I glanced at my older brother, Luke as he drove the car, staring straight out the windshield with a permanent half scowl on his face. He hadn't been the same since the accident that had taken my mother's life, and indirectly, my father's.

He glanced at me. "You sure you're okay with this, Kate?"

I forced a half-smile onto my face and replied, "Yes, of course. Bill and Carol are really nice. They'll do just fine taking care of me."

Bill and Carol were my aunt and uncle. They lived in Orlando and had been willing to take me in after the death of my parents. My brother would've gladly taken care of me, except for the fact that he was a sophmore at the University of Central Florida and lived in the dorms.

Luke smiled slightly. "What I'm more worried about is how you're going to survive high school."

I grinned. "I'll just do what I usually do. Stay invisible. Try to fit in."

"Which is impossible for you … fitting in."

"Oh shut up!" I laughed and punched him lightly on the shoulder.

He grinned, shook his head and returned his concentration to the road.

I smiled slightly and went back to gazing out the window, this time thinking about high school. I had never been to one before. For my whole life, my parents had home schooled Luke and I. Luke had turned out just fine. He was extremely smart, handsome, social, had a serious girlfriend and was attending University of Central Florida on a free ride. I, on the other hand, was quiet and reserved. I had difficulty making friends and only had three close ones. I also wasn't afraid to speak my mind, which got me into many fights and made me the enemy of many parents and children alike. I also was diagnosed with ADHD and pronounced an introvert by my psychologist. And now, at age seventeen, I was being tossed into a high school (THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE IN A HIGH SCHOOL! O.o) to spend my senior year.

The scenery changed from a big, noisy city to a quiet clean neighborhood with medium sized houses lining the streets. This was my aunt and uncle's neighborhood. I'd only been here a couple of times before when I was little, but even so, I recognized it and knew I would be happy here.

Luke pulled into the driveway of a, freshly painted, two-story white house with dark blue shutters. The front lawn had a white picket fence around it and had been neatly mowed.

I got out of Luke's pick-up truck, grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. Luke also got out and grabbed one of my ten boxes that were sitting in the truck bed.

Four of the boxes held clothes. The other six contained books, CD's, movies, my stereo and my prized laptop.

I walked up the small sidewalk to the front door and rang the doorbell. Luke stood behind me.

A second later, the door opened revealing a thin woman of about sixty with graying brown hair, pulled back into a bun, bright blue eyes, dressed in jeans and a pretty blue blouse.

Carol looked like she'd be one of those extremely strict, severe, school teacher types, but in reality, she was the sweetest, kindest, most laid-back woman I'd ever met. The same went for her husband, my uncle Bill.

Carol's face broke out into a wide grin when she saw me and she immediately pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Oh, Kate! You've grown so much, honey!"

I smiled and mumbled a muffled reply, as my face was pressed into her shoulder.

She let go of me and held me at arm's length. "Such a beautiful young woman you've grown into!"

I blushed slightly, as I always did when people paid me compliments, and replied, "Thank you, Aunt Carol."

"Now, honey, you go inside and go upstairs. Your room is the last door on the left! I'll get your Uncle Bill from out back and we'll bring your stuff up. Okay, sweetie?"

I smiled shyly. "Okay."

I headed into the house, leaving Luke with Carol.

I glanced around the house. Everything was organized in a very casual way. The living room looked cozy, with a couch and two big cushy armchairs, a fireplace and a big TV. The kitchen was small and tidy-looking and there was a full bathroom and a supply closet down a small hallway. The house was perfect for me.

I headed upstairs to where the bedrooms were. There were four of them total with another full bathroom at one end of the hall. At the other end of the hall was Bill's office. He was an accountant or something like that.

I walked over to the last door on the left like Carol had said and opened the door.

The room was small and cozy looking. The carpet was a clean beige. A double bed was sitting in the far left corner of the room with light blue sheets and a matching comforter and pillowcases. The walls were painted completely white with oak trim. In the far right corner of the room there was a nice-sized desk and a chair that faced one of the two windows in the room. The window looked out onto the driveway and the neighbor's house. The second window was on the wall in-between the desk and the bed, looked out onto the street and the front yard and had a small cozy window seat with, perfect for reading a book. There were two built in floor-to-ceiling oak bookcases, set in the wall by the desk and there were some shelves above the desk also. There was a small closet and also (bonus!) a TV that stood on a stand against the wall at the foot of my bed. It even had a DVD and VHS player and some shelves for movies.

I smiled and sat down on the bed, which was soft and comfortable. My parents were dead, but I knew I had to move on. And this seemed like a pretty good start.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Hello! This chapter isn't that great … the next one WILL be better. You know why? Because Kate meets Ryan in the next chapter! Starting next chapter I will also be switching POV's between Kate and Ryan. **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Never Back Down.**_

_Exactly four hours after I had arrived at my new home, I was completely moved in. I'd said good-bye to Luke, promising to call him and email him every day to tell him I was okay. My clothes were neatly hung up in the closet, my books were organized on the bookshelves, my stereo sat on the shelf above my desk, my laptop sat on my desk all plugged in and hooked up to the internet, and my posters of my favorite bands, movies, books, animals or just of beautiful scenery were tacked to the walls. Since my bed and TV were kind of in an alcove, I'd hung Christmas lights surrounding it so at night, it was kind of like a lit up cave. It was perfect._

"_Kate?" A knock came at the door._

"_Yes, Aunt Carol?" I called back. _

"_Dinner in ten minutes, if you'd like to come down, honey." _

"_Sure, thanks!" I smiled at the thought of food. I hadn't eaten since a drive-through at Wendy's at noon with Luke. It was now nearly seven o'clock._

_I quickly changed out of my sweaty jeans and t-shirt that had been sitting for a twelve hour car ride, and changed into my pajamas - a pair of light grey sweats and a tight fitting black t-shirt. I slapped on some deodorant, yanked a brush through my hair and pulled it back into a messy bun. I slipped into my cozy slippers and headed down to the kitchen._

_Carol had just finished setting the food on the table. It looked delicious - ham, mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables and ice water. _

_Bill was sitting at the table, his short gray hair slightly damp as if he'd just showered and also dressed in pajamas. _

_He smiled at me. "Hello there, Kate. How you doin'?"_

_I smiled back and sat down at the table. "I'm doing fine and you?"_

"_I'm doing fine. Food looks delicious, Care." He smiled at his wife._

_I smiled slightly and watched them. The two were completely in love with each other._

_Carol smiled back at him and sat down. "Thanks, dear. Well. Help yourself, Kate!"_

_I did just that. _

_Four pieces of ham, two helpings of mashed potatoes, three helpings of cooked vegetables, five glasses of water, and one bowl of ice cream later, I was, for the first time in six months, completely content. What can I say? Food makes me happy. It IS the best thing in the world._

_After dinner was finished, we all just sat there for a moment, our bellies full and our minds at peace. Then Carol brought up the subject of school. Which started the day after tomorrow._

"_Kate? You do know that Cypress Creek starts the day after tomorrow, right?"_

"_Yes, I looked it up before I left. I have all my school shopping done already."_

"_Alright. And I trust that you'll be okay with finding everything okay? Do you want me to go with you?" Carol watched me, a concerned motherly look on her face._

"_Oh for God's sake, she's seventeen!" Bill cut in. "And she's the most responsible niece I have! She'll be just fine."_

_I smiled slightly. "Yes, I'll be fine, but thank you. But … could you possibly show me where it is tomorrow? Or give me the address so I can Map Quest it? And is there a bus stop near by? Because I have my driver's license but … no car. And I know you work all day, Uncle Bill and I don't want to take your car all day, Aunt Carol."_

_Carol and Bill suddenly exchanged a knowing look. Carol grinned at me. "Well, Kate … as it turns out, and I know you hate it when we spend money on you, but let me assure you not even a dime was spent … Bill and I got you a car!"_

_My jaw dropped. "A car? But … but … how … you can't afford …"_

_Carole smiled. "Bill fixed up his old black Taurus for you. It looks practically brand new. It was sitting in the garage for years and I wanted him to sell it, but then you, a licensed driver, came along and Bill had a new reason to work on it!"_

"_Are …. You serious?" I asked. "Where would I even park it?"_

"_Honey, the garage in back is a three car garage." Carol smiled at me._

"_Wow … well … thank you!" I exclaimed, suddenly really excited._

"_So … you have a day before school starts. What do you plan on doing with it?"_

"_Well, I thought maybe I could explore the neighborhood. Find the school. Maybe go into town and do some shopping?"_

"_Sure, that sounds like a fine idea. Now, we only have a couple rules here. If you go somewhere, call us or leave a note saying where you're going and when you'll be back. And you don't have to keep your room clean just clean up after yourself and friends if you do make a mess somewhere in the house. We don't care what you do with your friends just … don't become a drug addict or alcoholic! And please don't get pregnant. If you DO have sex, I advise you to ask the man to use a con-"_

"_Okay, Aunt Carol!" I cut in. "Don't worry. I'll be safe." _

_She smiled at me. "Good. Now, do you want to join Bill and I while we watch our show? It's quite good! We got this thing called Roku and it's for Netflix and you hook it up to the TV and you can watch anything! It's on your TV also."_

_I laughed slightly. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm just gonna go to sleep early tonight."_

"_Alright, that's perfectly fine." _

_I smiled, excused myself from the table and headed back upstairs to my room. I took a quick shower and then curled up on the window seat with a good old Stephen King novel. _

_Tomorrow, I would explore. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi! Thank you for reviewing, it lifted my spirits! XD Again, if you don't see the review, I apologize for the last chapter being in all Italics … I have no idea what happened there. Well. Here it is. The chapter in which we meet Ryan!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Never Back Down.**

The next morning I woke up at around seven. I got dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and my favorite Paramore t-shirt. I ran a brush through my hair, deciding to wear it down for the day and slapped on some deodorant and a spray of almond scented perfume in case I met any cute guys.

I slipped on my DC's, grabbed my purse and stuffed my necessities in it - My Zune HD, earbuds, wallet, my notebook that held all my story ideas and sketches, a couple pens and sharp pencils, cell-phone, Icebreakers (my personal crack), perfume, a small hairbrush and some ponytails, a couple tampons (just in case!), and a small pocket-sized book ("The Lake House" by James Patterson). I headed into the basement and quickly made a bowl of cereal. I gulped it down, washed it down with a glass of orange juice and then brushed my teeth.

I scribbled a quick note to Carol and Bill (who were still asleep) as to what I was doing, grabbed an ice-cold bottle of water out of the fridge, and stuffed it in my purse.

I headed outside, deciding to walk instead of drive and began down the street that led out into town.

The part of Orlando where I now lived was small and quieter than downtown. There were all the necessities - a Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Aldi, Office Max, Best Buy, Target, McDonalds, Wendy's, two movie theaters, a Chinese restaurant, a couple pet stores, a JC Penney, Kohls, Sears, Menards, Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts … and they were all within ten minutes of my house. The school, Cypress Creek High was about fifteen minutes at the edge of town. It was near a small creek (Cypress Creek) and a beautiful park and forest preserve. It was a beautiful perfect place to live.

I went to Starbucks and grabbed a frozen latte and then headed to the park to sit in the shade and read.

**Ryan POV**

Ryan McCarthy was alone for once. He wasn't hanging out Aaron or Ben like he usually did and he didn't have a girl hanging off his arm. In fact, he hadn't had a girlfriend since the school year had ended. Aaron and Ben had been the only two friends of his that had stuck around after Jake Tyler had beaten him in the Beat Down. He was still quite popular but definitely not the king he had been before.

Ryan had learned his lesson well. He had apologized personally to Max Cooperman and Baja Miller and even to Jake for insulting his father. He had focused more on his studies and gotten his grade average up to an A by the end of the school year. He had gotten accepted to New York University and already had his major picked out - a double in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice (who would've thought? XD). He had still kept up with exercising every day and would participate in small fights every weekend in or so. He was quieter and nicer to everyone and his house was no longer the place to go for parties, although there still was some every once in a while.

But Ryan McCarthy was not completely changed. He was impulsive and still had a fierce temper. He was arrogant and could still be a jerk to anyone who angered him. Deep down, he was still half the jerk who'd taunted Jake Tyler at the party and half a good, well-meaning young man.

Today, on Sunday August 31st, Ryan was headed to the park by the high school. He liked going there to think about things and sometimes study if he needed to. But as he approached the park, he could see that there was a person sitting in his favorite spot underneath the willow tree. A girl.

He approached the girl until he could see her clearly. She looked to be about seventeen years old with long slightly curly blonde hair that fell to a couple inches past her shoulders. Her skin was white like milk and beautiful and soft-looking. She was slim with a great figure that would look amazing in a bikini. She wore no make-up that Ryan could see. She was beautiful in a very natural way. Her small, cute, slightly upturned nose was buried in a book. Ryan could tell she wasn't like any other girl he'd met. She looked smart. Very smart. And she wasn't wearing slut clothes like all the girls in Orlando. Instead she wore dark blue jeans that showed off her great ass and hips and a cool, tight-fitting, black Paramore t-shirt. She was also listening to a Zune HD, and not an iPod like everyone else had.

Ryan slowly approached her and sat down in front of her.

"Hey."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Never Back Down **

**Enjoy! Please read and review (: **

**Kate POV**

Since the music I had been listening to was classical and soft, I heard the voice right away.

I quickly paused my music, yanked out my earbuds, and set my book down to find myself looking at one of the most handsome young men I'd ever laid eyes upon.

He had short soft-looking blonde hair, tan skin, blue eyes and looked to have a very lean muscular body. His lips parted and formed a cute half-smile, revealing dimples and a set of perfect white teeth.

I sat there for a couple moments, just staring at him until I realized I looked like I an idiot and blurted, "Who are you?"

He smiled fully this time. "I'm Ryan McCarthy. Who are you?"

"Kate Warner." I smiled slightly at him and I could feel a tinge of blush creeping onto my cheeks.

"Nice to meet you, Kate. I haven't seen you around. Are you new here?"

I nodded. "Yes. I just moved in with my aunt and uncle yesterday."

Crap. Why had I said aunt and uncle? Now he was sure to ask why it was my aunt and uncle. And I didn't know if I could actually say out loud what had happened to me.

Ryan cocked his head slightly. "Aunt and uncle? Care to explain that a little?"

I swallowed hard.

_Kate. Just tell him. It's about time you come face-to-face with the truth. Even if it's to some total stranger. _My voice of reason chimed through my head.

"I … uh … my parents died. And my aunt and uncle down here were willing to take me in."

A look of sincere concern passed over his face. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that. If you don't mind me asking, how did they die?"

I stared at the ground. "My mom was killed in a car crash. My dad committed suicide shortly after."

"Oh …" he also looked at the ground. "I'm sorry."

I nodded slightly and didn't say anything.

We both sat there for a couple of seconds before he asked, "Will you be starting at Cypress Creek tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"It's not that bad of a school…"

"Well … I've never been to school. I was home schooled my whole life. So I'm not exactly looking forward to socializing or trying to fit in with certain groups."

"You're socializing right now." Ryan smiled slightly.

Score one for Ryan. He hadn't asked what home schooling was like. I hated explaining to people that, no I did NOT sit in my room all day and do school from dawn till dusk, and yes I was allowed to leave the house, and yes I DID have friends (surprise, surprise!), no I'm NOT a Jesus freak like most home schooled people, in fact, I'm an Atheist, and yes I AM smarter than average and no that is NOT a bad thing, yes I'm a bit of a nerd, but so what? At least I'll go to college and get a job and live a good life, LOSERS!

"Well, yeah …" I replied. "I'm fine with small groups but a whole high school full of people?" I shuddered slightly.

He laughed slightly. "Well, I can show you around the school a bit right now so you don't look like a total idiot tomorrow?"

I grinned at that. "Really? Right now? And how are you planning on getting in?"

"I have my ways." He gave me a mysterious smile and stood up. "Come on! Put the book down! Let's go!"

I laughed, packed up my purse, and stood up.

We spent the two minute walk to the school getting to know each other. Ryan seemed like a pretty nice guy. Apparently, he'd used to be a pretty big fighter but had mostly stopped to concentrate more on school and college. I had a thing for guys who saw that school was more important than sports but still managed to do both without damaging either. Ryan was also seventeen and (bonus!) single. I couldn't believe he was single until he told me that he was sick of having one-month relationships with all the skanks at the school. That slightly lowered my opinion of him, but it was quickly raised when he said he'd rather have a long-lasting relationship with someone smart and with common sense who cared about her life and her future.

"So … you probably won't be looking for anyone serious until you go off to college then?" I asked, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Well … probably not even until after college. I mean, I'll probably have some more short relationships before then … but yeah. No one serious until after college."

"Smart guy." I said, grinning.

"Well … I don't know. If I met the right girl … it wouldn't matter when I met her. Because if she truly was the right one … we'd stay together no matter what."

After this surprisingly deep sentence, Ryan stopped in his walk and gazed at me so intensely that I also froze.

We stared at each other for a long moment before he shook his head slightly and said, "Alright. Let's go around back."

I jumped slightly and pulled my gaze away from him. We were standing in front of the school, which was completely empty.

Ryan began heading around to the back of the school and I quickly followed him. He approached a window that seemed to lead into a biology classroom. I watched as he opened the window and stepped inside the classroom.

I began to follow him, but then my common sense took over. What the hell was I doing going into an empty school with a guy I'd just met? A guy I didn't know. A guy who might not be nice guy he looked like he was. I stopped short outside the window.

Ryan poked his head out and asked, "You coming or not?"

I opened my mouth to say something, but found I couldn't speak as my throat was completely dry.

Ryan must've seen the look on my face because a look of concern passed over his face and he hopped out and went over to me. "Kate? I'm not going to hurt you. I promise. I'm not that kind of person."

Finally being able to speak I replied, "How do I know that?"

He gently touched my arm and I flinched away from him.

He frowned slightly and didn't say anything but I saw brief look of hurt pass through his eyes.

I swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. I don't trust people easily."

Ryan didn't say anything.

"I mean … please understand. I've only just met you and you're a guy and I'm about to go alone into an empty school and-"

"I get it." He said quietly, cutting me off without being rude. "I do. Don't worry about it." he smiled slightly.

I forced a small smile on my face. "Well … I'd better get going."

"Wait. You know…to trust someone you have to take a chance. Come on. Just ten minutes in the school. I'll prove to you that you can trust me." He gave me a small hopeful smile that made my heart stop.

I hesitated. "I … um … I … uh…"

"Please?" His voice was quietly hopeful like a small child. That's what got me.

"Fine." I said, now smiling for real.

Ryan leaped into the classroom and I followed close behind him.

**Ryan POV**

Ryan had made sure to be polite to the girl, Kate. He hadn't tried to touch her and he hadn't pushed her about anything that she didn't want to talk about. She was interesting, that was for sure. Did he like her? The jerk side of him only liked her for her attractiveness and immediately wanted to get her in bed, take her virginity and then dump her on the side of the road for the wolves to eat. The new side of him … well … there might just be a little crush there.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello! I apologize for the long wait. I had camp and then went to my grandma's house and … *face palm* forgot my laptop! She doesn't have internet either though. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Never Back Down … **

**Kate POV**

I walked through the crowded hallways of Cypress Creek high school, desperately trying to get to my first class, Psychology, on time. Thanks to Ryan, I knew exactly where it was. It didn't help, however, that it was on the top floor at the opposite end of the entrance.

Finally, after much pushing and shoving, I managed to arrive at class five minutes early. There were only three people in the classroom. Two guys and one girl. I quietly walked in and took a seat in the back corner.

"Are you new here?" the girl asked me. She looked friendly and didn't sound like an idiot skank so I decided to be friendly in reply.

"Yes, I am. I'm Kate."

"I'm Baja. Nice to meet you, Kate." Baja replied with a smile.

I smiled a little. "Nice to meet you too, Baja."

After that, there was no more time for conversation as the rest of the class began piling in. To my pleasant surprise, Ryan was one of them. He gave me a small smile and sat in front of me.

Then, a hot dark haired kid came over to me and stared down at me. "That's my seat."

Everyone in the class fell silent and watched us.

I looked up at him and replied coolly, "Find another one."

The kid leaned into me, close. I could smell alcohol on his breath and suddenly became afraid.

"I said. That's my seat. Get out of it."

Baja suddenly got up, came over to us, and tugged on his arm. "Jake. Stop. You're drunk. Please. Just … go."

The kid, Jake, backed away from me and stared at Baja with such fury, that I for a moment, he was going to hit her.

Then he relaxed slightly and muttered, "Yeah. Sorry …" he looked questioningly at me.

"Kate."

"Kate. Sorry, Kate." And he took the seat next to me.

"It's fine." I muttered.

…

The cafeteria was extremely crowded, but I managed to make my way to a small two-person table by the window, without spilling my lunch.

As I ate my lunch, I looked around the cafeteria and studied it. There were the Goths sitting at one table. The nerds at another. The popular kids took up at least four tables. And then the rest of the tables were sparsely occupied by single or a couple unpopular kids.

I looked around for Ryan, but then remembered that he had a different lunch period. I did spot Baja. Who was, surprisingly, eating only with one person - a shaggy haired slightly chubby kid. I'd pegged her as a popular girl. Hmm.

She looked up, saw me, and waved me over. After I made sure that it WAS me she was waving to, I picked up my tray, headed over to the table, and sat next to the chubby kid, across from Baja.

The kid looked at me and gave me a really cute smile. "I'm Max Cooperman. Who're you?"

"Kate Warner. Nice to meet you, Max." I smiled.

"Nice to meet you too." He replied and went back to eating.

"Kate." Baja said, quietly, and I looked at her.

"Yeah?"

"Have you met Ryan yet?"

"Yeah, I met him yesterday actually. Why?"

"You should know some … things. About him. About me. About Jake. And Max."

I nodded slightly. "Okay. What sort of things?"

Baja took a sip of her water and then began. "I moved here two years ago. I was a nobody. I had a couple friends that I studied with. That was it. Ryan was the king of the school. The best fighter. The hottest guy. We were both in the library studying one day. He came over to me and we started talking. Four weeks later, he asked me out. I accepted. Of course. I felt that our relationship was different than the ones he'd had with other girls because during the four weeks that we weren't dating, we hung out nearly every day. I knew nearly everything about him. And him about me. We became best friends. He didn't care that it looked bad on him when he talked to me, the most unpopular person in the school, in public. Ryan seemed like such a good person. He never touched a drop of alcohol in his life and I know he still hasn't. He worked out. He ate healthily. He was rich. He was kind. He was funny. He was smart. He was hot. Everything you could want in a guy, right?"

I nodded.

Baja continued. "Then I found out about the fighting. Ryan seemed obsessed with it. He WAS good. The best. Still is. He started being a bully one day out of no where. He would pick on the new kids of the school. The boys, not the girls. He'd be all nice and invite them to his parties at his house and then beat the crap out of them for fun in front of everybody. I thought it was alcohol at first. But it wasn't. To his credit, despite having a horrible temper and me pestering him all the time to stop, he never once touched me in anger. Well. Until we broke up. And that … was because he wanted to tell me something. Important. And … well, we'll get to that. Anyway. We started drifting apart. We didn't see each other as often. The year after I moved here, Jake moved here. Ryan saw him as prey. And he caught it. But Jake fought back. Basically, this is what happened. Ryan beat the shit out of Jake. Taunted him. Insulted his dead father. Jake started training to be a fighter and beat Ryan in the Beatdown after Ryan nearly killed Max trying to lure Jake to fight him again."

My eyes widened and I stared at Max in horror.

He smiled slightly and said, "It's all good now between us. He apologized. And … well, Baja'll tell you."

Baja continued again. "Anyway. I broke up with Ryan in the middle of all of this and started dating Jake. Ryan got angry and grabbed my arm really hard trying to tell me something. Something that I wished I'd listened to. He bruised me pretty badly. That was the only time he hurt me, ever. Anyway. At the end of the whole Ryan/Jake issue, Ryan learned his lesson and went back to being the person I'd met so long ago in the library. Jake … he became the king of the school. I was his popular girlfriend. Ryan, Jake, and Max became fast friends. They were like a trio. And still are. Ryan apologized to all of us about fifty million times. And explained to us why he had done it. Which … I'll let him explain to you, if he wants. It's supposed to be a secret. I'll give you a sneak peek into it though. Basically, everyone knows Ryan's dad is an important man in the underground fighting industry with a fierce temper. But no one ever would've thought that he'd go to such extreme lengths to have his son make him look good. Ryan will elaborate for you if you ask him and tell him that I told you the whole story of everything. Anyway. Everything was going well. We were all best friends. Then, two weeks ago, Jake and Ryan were at a party. Someone spiked Jake's drink. When they were driving home, Jake had insisted on driving, they hit a boy. And killed him. Jake became an alcoholic after that. He also blames Ryan for spiking his drink. Which, Ryan didn't. The police believed his alibi and so do I. Anyway. Jake's an alcoholic now. I'm single after he raped and abused me. Ryan, Max and I are still very good friends. We try to help Jake in every way we can. And … I think Ryan likes you. A lot."


End file.
